Back To Basics

Sinologist Elsbeth van Paridon (University of Leiden, Netherlands) is a run-of-the-mill fashion aficionada. Van Paridon tackled Beijing for some six years, working as an English editor and author for China International Publishing Group as well as writing the occasional freelance piece on China Fashion and Urban Culture.

Upon leaving behind full time Beijing living, van Paridon traveled to Hong Kong for a bit where she moseyed down steep alleyways to report on their historical and contempo underground significance in both writing and images.

Most recently (June 2018), van Paridon managed to crawl and claw her way through the throes and woes of the dragon that is a degree in Journalism.

China’s Urban Underground

Van Paridon hunts down the latest in Chinese menswear, women’s clothing, designer newbies, established names, changes in the nation’s street scenery, close-ups of particular trends presently at play in China or of historical value plus a selection of budding photographers.

Paired with a deep devotion to China’s urban underground scene, van Paridon holds a particular interest in the topics of androgyny, the exploration of individuality and the power that is the Key Opinion Leader (the local term for “influencers”) in contemporary China. She reports on trends in the respective fields in her personal project on the side called “China Under The Radar“.

Print And Magazine

From Beijing to Shanghai and every corner of the mainland, China Fashion and Lifestyle is a phenomenon which deserves to be explored by the niches of global fashion, art and socio-culturalism.

As to capture a real sense of this colorful and inspiring new Chinese landscape, van Paridon set up the print and digital publication Temper Magazine — her main squeeze. Temper Magazine looks into the art of clothing and how this reflects the blossoming of China’s contemporary society in revolutionary motion.

The Temper team now includes five contributors and four translators. Not to mention a host of insanely talented helping hands without whom this adventurous mega-endeavor of a lifetime would never be possible. Hey, ya gotta do something in life, right?

China Fashion And Lifestyle

Van Paridon has reported on a variety of China Fashion&Lifestyle related topics for several publications, including the likes of What’s On Weibo, SIX Magazine, Global Times, Global Health Magazine, The Beijinger, UK YAHOO! Style and China International Publishing Group.

Van Paridon is currently based between Antwerp (BE) and New York City (U.S.). With the Middle Kingdom always just a plane-ride away.

“You know the greatest thing is passion, without it what have you got? I mean if you love someone you can love them as much as you can love them but if it isn’t a passion, it isn’t burning, it isn’t on fire, you haven’t lived.” The Empress aka Diana Vreeland.